The Firetah
(part ten)
George Weasley stared listlessly at the book in front of him. Marvelous Muggles- A History of Muggle Life in Britain. Stupid title, really. He knew he shouldn't have let his father talk him into taking Muggle Studies. Now he was stuck in the library while Fred was outside at the lake, plotting a way to use the new passageway they'd just found yesterday behind a portrait of a giant flounder.
He looked up suddenly. Hermione had just walked into the library. No big surprise there. He looked also at the girl beside her. The two were deeply engaged in discussion and didn't see him, so he could look freely. He was curious. Ron had been complaining constantly about how this girl was stealing his two best friends and how they didn't even know it. He had seen Anchoret before, of course, but he had never really been able to study her. He looked now at her golden hair and her icy skin. He couldn't see what Ron was on about, she looked perfectly harmless to him. He had seen the way Harry was always looking at her, though. But George reckoned he must have missed something. Sure, she was pretty...in the way sunlight in winter was pretty. But where was the beauty that cut like a knife? The beauty that had Harry so enthralled?
She turned then and her eyes met his for a moment. Ahh....there it is, thought George, wincing.
*******
In the library with Hermione. We're going to look up some books on Herbology so that Hermione can help Ron without him knowing it. How she plans to do this I have no idea, nor do I want to intrude too much on what is obviously a very timid, budding romance. It is well for them. I look at Hermione and see that she is smiling softly as she reads. Ron is sometimes vexing, but his loyalty and ultimate kindness is unshakable. I've grown rather fond of him over the last few days. I also have been able to avoid going to Dumbledore, as I have been able to manage quite well without looking at Harry. Soon, though, I will. I can't avoid looking at Harry forever, and I don't think I want to. This thought startles me.
A few moments later I can feel someone watching me. I feel no ill-will in it, but still I raise my head up to look. Bright, flaming hair. Startling blue eyes look back... a Weasley. It could be no other, with that hair. Older than Ron, surely. This one's curious, I can tell.
Perhaps I should let him see a little of what I am. His spirit is strong and mischievous, like a new spring colt's. He can take it. I let a tiny bit of my careful concealment slip. His eyes widen at the sight of my softly glowing eyes. He winces.
I'm sorry...I thought he could handle it. Still, he looks none too abashed, and his color is still vibrant. Strong, yes. He would make a useful ally in my unspoken war with his brash younger brother.
Hermione stands up suddenly and says she's finished. I'm reluctant to leave, but when I turn around the boy is gone. I hope he knows what to do with his knowledge. If he keeps quiet perhaps I will let him see the full truth. I think he will. He's a remarkably prudent boy, despite that rampantly wild spirit.
We shall see.
As Hermione and I are walking down the corridor back to the common room, I remember that before I reveal myself to Ron's brother I have to talk it over with Dumbledore. He would want to know something like this. I can't take it upon myself to make these decisions anymore. I am just about to tell Hermione that I have to see the Headmaster and I will meet her in the Great Hall when a whiny voice interrupts my reverie.
"Oh, if it isn't boring Granger and her new friend." I stop in the hall to face the girl I saw in Potions the other day.
"Pansy, just let us pass, will you?" Hermione's eyes roll and she lets out a weary breath.
"Oh please, Hermione. Must you gather all the rejects to yourself?" Says this Pansy, vehemently. She is twirling a silver necklace with a snake on it in her fingers and she's smirking. She abruptly changes the subject, this time looking right at me.
"Draco got me this gorgeous necklace in Hogsmeade last weekend. Isn't it lovely?" She's holding it out for us to look at. When I look at Draco I can see no love for this girl in his eyes. She's a token, an ornament. An ugly ornament. She looks at me again and sniffs.
"I saw you smiling at Draco the other day, girl...and I can tell you that he's not interested. He belongs to me. I am the one who cheers him on in Quidditch, I am the one he turns to when he's having a bad day. Not you. Never you!"
She says this last bit in a screech and I sigh heavily. "Pansy, Draco is not a prize to be won. He's a person, and he's going to choose the one he wants, and whether it's you or not is no concern of mine. I have more important things to do than to stand in the corridor being yelled at by some child with a jealous streak."
Hermione looks stunned at my outburst and she grins. Pansy sees this and steps closer to Hermione. "You had better be careful, Granger," she spits. "You and all your Mudblood- loving friends, because as long as there is breath in my body I will fight against all that you stand for. So go have fun with your stupid friends, and just wait...you'll all meet the same fate as Potter's parents, and good riddance!"
As I stand there and let her words wash over me I hear her last sentence. It is too much for me to bear. I grab the front of Pansy's robes and say in my most hopefully threatening voice, "Have a care, Pansy. You are stupid and spiteful, and that has made you weak. I would stay away from us if I were you, but as you never listen to reason perhaps I should give you a little lesson in remembrance."
With these words I snap the necklace off her neck and crush the tiny snake in my fist. When I open my hand again the necklace is a melted silver blob. I hand it back to her and say, "Now move along Pansy, you're blocking the corridor." She stares at me, horrified, and runs down the hall.
Hermione and I make our way to the common room. "Pansy deserved that, Anchoret," said Hermione, "You should have heard all the things she said about me last year. But, still...that was her favorite necklace." Hermione's brow knit together in a frown and I laugh.
"Oh Hermione, don't worry so much! And don't ask." I say when I can tell she wants to ask me about the necklace.
"That was really impressive, Anchoret, and thanks for being there for us all, but really...if we are all to be friends, you can't have all these secrets! I mean, there are things that we as you're friends need to know." She says this with such solemnity that I realize she speaks the truth. I turn to her.
"I know, Hermione. I'm going to Dumbledore right now. Tell Harry and Ron that I'll meet you all in the Great Hall for dinner." With this, I turn down the hall towards the Headmaster's office.
(part ten)
George Weasley stared listlessly at the book in front of him. Marvelous Muggles- A History of Muggle Life in Britain. Stupid title, really. He knew he shouldn't have let his father talk him into taking Muggle Studies. Now he was stuck in the library while Fred was outside at the lake, plotting a way to use the new passageway they'd just found yesterday behind a portrait of a giant flounder.
He looked up suddenly. Hermione had just walked into the library. No big surprise there. He looked also at the girl beside her. The two were deeply engaged in discussion and didn't see him, so he could look freely. He was curious. Ron had been complaining constantly about how this girl was stealing his two best friends and how they didn't even know it. He had seen Anchoret before, of course, but he had never really been able to study her. He looked now at her golden hair and her icy skin. He couldn't see what Ron was on about, she looked perfectly harmless to him. He had seen the way Harry was always looking at her, though. But George reckoned he must have missed something. Sure, she was pretty...in the way sunlight in winter was pretty. But where was the beauty that cut like a knife? The beauty that had Harry so enthralled?
She turned then and her eyes met his for a moment. Ahh....there it is, thought George, wincing.
*******
In the library with Hermione. We're going to look up some books on Herbology so that Hermione can help Ron without him knowing it. How she plans to do this I have no idea, nor do I want to intrude too much on what is obviously a very timid, budding romance. It is well for them. I look at Hermione and see that she is smiling softly as she reads. Ron is sometimes vexing, but his loyalty and ultimate kindness is unshakable. I've grown rather fond of him over the last few days. I also have been able to avoid going to Dumbledore, as I have been able to manage quite well without looking at Harry. Soon, though, I will. I can't avoid looking at Harry forever, and I don't think I want to. This thought startles me.
A few moments later I can feel someone watching me. I feel no ill-will in it, but still I raise my head up to look. Bright, flaming hair. Startling blue eyes look back... a Weasley. It could be no other, with that hair. Older than Ron, surely. This one's curious, I can tell.
Perhaps I should let him see a little of what I am. His spirit is strong and mischievous, like a new spring colt's. He can take it. I let a tiny bit of my careful concealment slip. His eyes widen at the sight of my softly glowing eyes. He winces.
I'm sorry...I thought he could handle it. Still, he looks none too abashed, and his color is still vibrant. Strong, yes. He would make a useful ally in my unspoken war with his brash younger brother.
Hermione stands up suddenly and says she's finished. I'm reluctant to leave, but when I turn around the boy is gone. I hope he knows what to do with his knowledge. If he keeps quiet perhaps I will let him see the full truth. I think he will. He's a remarkably prudent boy, despite that rampantly wild spirit.
We shall see.
As Hermione and I are walking down the corridor back to the common room, I remember that before I reveal myself to Ron's brother I have to talk it over with Dumbledore. He would want to know something like this. I can't take it upon myself to make these decisions anymore. I am just about to tell Hermione that I have to see the Headmaster and I will meet her in the Great Hall when a whiny voice interrupts my reverie.
"Oh, if it isn't boring Granger and her new friend." I stop in the hall to face the girl I saw in Potions the other day.
"Pansy, just let us pass, will you?" Hermione's eyes roll and she lets out a weary breath.
"Oh please, Hermione. Must you gather all the rejects to yourself?" Says this Pansy, vehemently. She is twirling a silver necklace with a snake on it in her fingers and she's smirking. She abruptly changes the subject, this time looking right at me.
"Draco got me this gorgeous necklace in Hogsmeade last weekend. Isn't it lovely?" She's holding it out for us to look at. When I look at Draco I can see no love for this girl in his eyes. She's a token, an ornament. An ugly ornament. She looks at me again and sniffs.
"I saw you smiling at Draco the other day, girl...and I can tell you that he's not interested. He belongs to me. I am the one who cheers him on in Quidditch, I am the one he turns to when he's having a bad day. Not you. Never you!"
She says this last bit in a screech and I sigh heavily. "Pansy, Draco is not a prize to be won. He's a person, and he's going to choose the one he wants, and whether it's you or not is no concern of mine. I have more important things to do than to stand in the corridor being yelled at by some child with a jealous streak."
Hermione looks stunned at my outburst and she grins. Pansy sees this and steps closer to Hermione. "You had better be careful, Granger," she spits. "You and all your Mudblood- loving friends, because as long as there is breath in my body I will fight against all that you stand for. So go have fun with your stupid friends, and just wait...you'll all meet the same fate as Potter's parents, and good riddance!"
As I stand there and let her words wash over me I hear her last sentence. It is too much for me to bear. I grab the front of Pansy's robes and say in my most hopefully threatening voice, "Have a care, Pansy. You are stupid and spiteful, and that has made you weak. I would stay away from us if I were you, but as you never listen to reason perhaps I should give you a little lesson in remembrance."
With these words I snap the necklace off her neck and crush the tiny snake in my fist. When I open my hand again the necklace is a melted silver blob. I hand it back to her and say, "Now move along Pansy, you're blocking the corridor." She stares at me, horrified, and runs down the hall.
Hermione and I make our way to the common room. "Pansy deserved that, Anchoret," said Hermione, "You should have heard all the things she said about me last year. But, still...that was her favorite necklace." Hermione's brow knit together in a frown and I laugh.
"Oh Hermione, don't worry so much! And don't ask." I say when I can tell she wants to ask me about the necklace.
"That was really impressive, Anchoret, and thanks for being there for us all, but really...if we are all to be friends, you can't have all these secrets! I mean, there are things that we as you're friends need to know." She says this with such solemnity that I realize she speaks the truth. I turn to her.
"I know, Hermione. I'm going to Dumbledore right now. Tell Harry and Ron that I'll meet you all in the Great Hall for dinner." With this, I turn down the hall towards the Headmaster's office.
